Purification of sewage and other liquids.



y vv. JONES. PURIFICATION 0F SEWAGE AND OTHER LIQUIDS.

APPLCATON FILED SEPT-13| 1915 1192472541 Patenba. Now,l 20,191?.

I SHEETS-SHEET l.

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PUHIFECATION 0F SEWAGE AND OTHER LIQUIDS. APPLxcATloN FILED SEPT. 13, 1915.

Lgd.; l A mamma Nov. 20, 1917.

SHEETS-SHEET 2.

W. JONES.

'PURIFICATION OF SEWAGE AND OTHER LIQUIDS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 13, 1915A l 9247,54 l l Patented Nw. 20, 191?.

y Wilp/t9' lmmm.

W. IONES.

PURIFICATION 0F SEWAGE AND OTHER I IOUIDS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-13,19l5- atente Nov. 20, 191?.

SHEETS-SHEET 5.

W. JONES.

PURiFlCAON 0F SEWVAGE AND OTHER UQUWIDS. n APPUCATIUN FILED SEPT- 13, 1915. L9%/%9r%; mente Nw. 20, 191?.

SHEE'l'S-SHEET 6.

W. JUNI-IS.

PURIFICATION 0F SEWAGE AND OTHER LIQUIDS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT- I3, 1915. Imgm. Patented Nov. 20, 191?.

SHEETS-SHEET @Q L EN www i i .$13k a.

.om f hm mm IImh IINMII MII man:

, great; vvliile tliat oi the Egre-,ateior intenser Speoiileatioii ai' Letters latent Application le September 1', Seria.;

To @ZZ whom i? may ooi/were:

Be it known that l, WALTER JONES, e euloject. of the King ot-England, residing; at Stourbridge, in tlio County ot' l/lloroester, England, llave invented new and useful lin proveniente in or Connected with tlie Purifioation of Sewage und other Liquids, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to s5'fsteni of purifying sewage and analogous impure liquids, and primarily to those Wliereiu tlie sewage or liquid to be puriiied is introdueed into a tank or veseol, and is subjected to the action of oir delivered into it in bubbles, suoli tor-instance, as tlioso produced by foroing air tliiougli porous stone, or an air diffusing body, or through other suitable distributing means; and the primary object ot the invention is to render lese the quantity of air required for aerating," tlie sewage, so as to stimulate it and maintain it in a highly active or energetic state, and for agitatiug oi distributing the sludge through tlie liquid, so that every partoi" the liquid should be acted upon and so quickly purified.

Tile air supplied to the liquid for the aeration of it, and its contained sludge and bacteria, is supplied in varying volumes, or varyingl intensities, or botli, during the period of aeration; or it is supplied intermittently. By the supply of tiie relatively Small volume of air into the liquid, tlie aeration of tlie Sludge and its contained bacteria will loe Suitioieut for tlie purpose ivliicli air is supplied to tlieui; Whereas ivlien tlie greater or more intense supply takes place, tlie agitation and distribution oi tlie sludge and bacteria, throughout tliewliqujid is aoooinplislied These periods o t variable supply, or inter inittance of supply, ma be longer -or shorter, accordingly as may be required.

In tlie oase of treating seivae or other liquid by aerobic bacteria; or other bacteria having a specific gravity approaching that of Wati, the bacteria aiter complete distribution take a considerable time to fall to the bottoni, While the time taken to ei'lleot suoli distribution or ditlusion throughout tbe liquid, is comparatively sliort. Thus, in suoli a oase, tlie period et timeof the looser supply and aeration, may be proportionately supply toi' tlie purpose of distrilouting` bacteria andV diti'using it tliroiigli tlie liquid,

may be eoinpaiatively sliort.

Where the aeration ot eiieli liqiiiil.L

is einploved.

T i. .1. f e ili letra tioii e oi oit W'liicli isabove deeorioed, tlie annexed' drawings, sind inve itioii will 5e further described ivi i these drawings, moet oit' vieiva oil.' vi 7u are largely diagrammatic.

lu Figures; l to T tlie systoni i in iiliioli tlie air is supplied ""xixi-l vf-ivi lr l j tir/,imo in Aeiniiteenni, z.. eri supplied intermittently.

lll/lith regard to tlio tan ivliioli tlie Sewage is to be treated.; in moet 't tlif i these are not sliovvii iii tlie draiviaz.J is to be assumed tliat they are of i liiiid, and that the);T are iis. means toi: supplying; air trtlieiii tlie arrangement of tlie means f anv particular will be I iitable particular inode oiI i. invention is to be ap lied. air will, be supplied in s brio are produced b v forcing air ougli porous body, dif-oosed Sal-v, or nea" lowerl portion of the or lit air distributing' uifiplianoee ln llig'. l is slioivii i hydro*pneuiiiatio ivlieel er pilotvalves?` for ce; ooinpreeeergl air to and distributing' means in tlie etwa; tying tank or can yugiiioli uf'l be alf to be Worked aeooitiugg "A teme herein described.

Fig. 2 is a eroga section tiie air controlling or valvular arraiipjeiiient uliivii in Fie'. 3 sectional el. air supply and controllingvaive controlled Leanser of air supply, shown in Figs. 1 to 7, in con nection with a series of purification tanks.

Fig. 9 is a plan in diagram, illustrating one -mode of carrying out the system of treating sewage or other liquid wherein air is supplied to the sewage and distributed to it in an alternating larger and smaller' volume, or volumes and pressures; and Fig. l is a diagram illustrating a pilotl and main air valve arrangement for yedecting the alternations of greater and less or d minishing supplies to the tanks. But this arrangement could be used in connection with the system of treatment of alternate air supply, and no supply.

Fig. 1l is a longitudinal section, and Fig. l2 is a transverse section of a purification tank, illustrating the system of air supply and cessation of supply, or pulsating system, applied to it.

Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly Figs. 1 to 7, the hydro-pneumatic motor shown in Figs. l te 5 consists of a bucket wheel 1, mounted on a spindle 2 within a tank 3 containing water or liquid; and it is rotated by compressed air supplied to it through a pipe fl, which discharges into the buckets which at the moment are at the bottom of the wheel l, and displacing the water in buckets lightens the wheel which is revolved by the greater' weight of water in the opposite side.

The spindle 2 of this motor has cams 6.

upon it, which operate upon rollers on the end of the valve spindles 7, which are arranged to work up and down in a casing 8, iXed on an air chest 9.

The valves 7 are reduced in parts within the casing 8, and so form a piston 10, which operates in connection with a port 11, whereby air is supplied through the pipe 12 from the chest 9, by way of the port i3, to the cylinder connected with the main air .supply valve shown in Fig. 3, which they aetuate; and the exhaust takes place through the upper end of the casing 8 which is open. A weight l5 on the upper endof the valve 7 normally presses it down, and keeps its bowl on the cam 6.

Compressed air is supplied tothe chest .9 through the pipe 16 from a compressor.

. A. cylinder and piston 19 is used in con vnection with each of the valves 7 for keeping them open when desired; the opening beingq effected by the piston acting on a lever 20, which acts on the spindle ofthe` bowl of the valve 7. Air is suitably, supplied to the diiierent cylinders and pistons 19 from the source of compressed air service.

The m in valves or valvular devices for supplying air to the air distributers in the tanks, are generally designated 21; and they consist ci" a valve proper 22 working within a casing 23, and having a piston 24e working in a cylinder 25, the interior of which is connected up with the valve shown in Fig. 2

by the pipe l2.

Compressedair is supplied to the valve 21 through the inlet branch 26,' and passed to the air distributing means or diifusers in the tanks, through the outlet branch 27.

ln action, when a valve 7 is lifted by a cam 6, air enters the 'cylinder 25, and operates on the piston 24.-, lifts the valve 22 olf its1seat; and then air flows to the air distributers or diffusers, or sets of dinsers, as the case may be, of the tank, with'which the branch 27 .of the valve is connected. And, conversely, when the valve 7 falls, the air supply to the cylinder is cut od", and the valve closes by its own weight, and the pressure on it due to the flow of air past it, and the supply of air to the air distributer and distributers of the treating tanks, is cut oil from there. Thus, in this manner, a variable or pulsating air supply and action on the sewage and its contained sludge and like matters, takes place, either all over the tank at one. time, or in sections of the tank, so that parts of the contents of the tank are subjected to the actionof air at diil'erent times, or the whole of the contents of a tank being operated upon or controlled bythe apparatus is subjected tothe action of air at dili'ere'nt times, as the case may be, and as may be required. ln all cases the aeration of the liquid being treated. or in the process of puriiication is non-uniform.

The lift of the valve 22 od its seat, is governed by the lower end of a threaded regulating spindle 28, which passes through the top of the valve, and is capable of being screwed down more or less. And in the botto-m of the cylinder 25 there is a screw stud 29, which may serve to prevent the valve 22 from completelyclosing on its seat, sothat the complete cessation of supply of air does not take alace; nevertheless the non-uniform or liulsating eiiect referred to does take place. l

ln the arrangement shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the air supply to the air distributers or diffuser is adapted to be reduced during the filling of the tank 50;`and this is eliccted by a Heater 30, acted upon by the rising and falling of the liquid in the tank, and the counterbalance weight 31, which works in a chamber outside the treatin tank, and operates in connection .with pilot slide or piston valves 32, which may supply air to the cylinder and pistons of` main air supply valves similar to thatshown in Figt, which deliver the air to the distributers or diil'users.

These pilot valves .may be of the known slide valve type, such as shown in Fig. 10 hereinafter described; and they may be worked in opposite directions by double pawl levers 33 of known kind, one arm' of which is operated in one direction, by the osso tlis air supploo "to Los die-ibi. may lio ons oi' molo ziiilis will be aglio lizliis of lili@ Filling of lie 'milla'. bo-

, i imei lili@ lloziei: is a 'ranged iii as; s iown in Fig. G; bul; 'Where the olf, ille. ilosl'ei may be arranged zmxilizu'y tmil Y), lo

lis wille;-

suppliecl by i pipe and fi'om lli@ ti'ezliug will; when full;

iaving s` suilable msfms of it .i'lioii this. main liealviiig; tamil; 50

(Lilli empty., empties.

'Vf e ii'ioils of iogulsliiig ills supply ol' su:

o 'olio sir flisliiluiilei's oi lhs tanks, shown in 6 and may be also used if desired in, muses wha-fre he non-uniform siii' sl '1 fluri 9' dlie 'isizl'msiit of the liquid., consists iii ii i and iflocrofising of' elle Volume.

il, lujvflro j'ioi1iimvbio wheel molo? :mal a, of @ilol ml #as may lo@ used in commotion l li two or moro sie-Wag@ treating taillis, and l ow oi of nir clistribuois and lifusers in each miller, will have sii* siigjipliocl it oi' lie/iii. ai the saine lime. @i3 in oibhor uses, in @soli famili dilsiweiiy rows oi seis i's oi1 cliussis will bo salami-- of :wir clisiibu't.;

eel to flsiifoiilis sii lo the sowsg'e it (lili-@ront f ov ons lie olei.' ln lhs lslo @nods oi' tisziiiig die sewage by aloiliae siiiioly snel esssziion of supply of fii, the isoys may, il closii'ecl3 'be in Contact Willi fsm-li olion so tlist the Whole. oir tlie lnotom will consist of liom; Wliilo in they may' lie spaced :from @soli siiisblo clislm'i'cos.

` El, tliis igu'o s ating oi s ssi/'orol- /rr hows in o 'f soi" i i liis 1H f pilot vali", so

ip gef-i1 .in lala@ interv; cui :will supply.

i lele of cn'ivyiiig sul: Elio 1mm-luidu supply sjv'slsmfio the liquid iii :i

lil, und n.

l sting an alternato sappig@ v, l. oessauoii of supplf' to iin, @here *pub sofioofl smul in' iomsllol in ille l i i 9 l om oi lli@ anli- 50 (wliicii in tlm sliowii is of cliziiiiifel 101m, the pz il" oit channels being in lhs :ml in connection Willi. @ifs o1' distribulsi s n, i' supply pipo ll @mainllf on'es'cli of which lie f is s sopsi'ae-s pulgatoi? mlm El., siiiillm zo om; andi liiusoin moli pipo owes and l'ii'anolies,

.ln im srruwslnoni of this kind. 'lzlis s s- 1 u l i 7 um oil; suppiy und oossahon ol supply can be win-imi out at clil'oi'ent points or sooions of ll@ milk, sin (lilerent momouls, or in soquoiioe; oir, if desired, lli@ supply and tion of supply can take place siiiiultanooiisy all over it.

Tl system ol. air supply, is applied to a lzmli; iu wliioh ills ijysem O Sovi or liquid supply and piu'ifostiou is continun ons; that is to say the liquid is supplied continuously fili one end, say tho lf-ft l'izind and, mil is discharged continuously over lli@ iwi? 58 si'. the oiliei.' auch' into :i settling Chamber or tank 59 beyond this end.

Be"=i'1iiijg now to lio iioiifuiiiolmfoi: miiziol ii' Supply system in which lille 'Vfiisv tion is in the Yoluiiie, o1I volume sind in'onsity of sir supply, (linking the period of tiesiiiout iii lli@ milk, :in example of :i 111ml@ ol osu-ying out tliis system is given in Figs. 9 sind l0, in which the parts which are ille Same as, o1 equivalent lo the @Ms shown in Fig l lo S, sie mal'lod with lli@ sam@ guiss or lslois ol refsreiioo.

ln Ellis osso tho pilo valve zingomsit 'Woilscl liioii'i lli@ shaft 2 of tho hydro-pinoli .fil-fio moto of the sliclo Valve typo; snel lli 7^@ oolii'olliug lelie 'supply of sir 1 ifyiiizff tsr-lis is of iloulilo piston .l liozl'i. of 'which :its Woll :i1 oomjirossonl l'om *al olismloei o tile mlm casing oil hlm Valve 2l.

l or u.

on the soiling@ or liquid is i@ "Valve osso Q3 of lilo mlvuls imm :i oompi'essor l0 (ssa Fig. incl il: is sllomslioly delivered imo one f* Je required ml i1 o s e .supply af/ill Hm su lu some casus, however? el SLQS@ ving 23 inwhich the piston valve 22 works, being open to the atmosphere by way of-the quickly. The action of the distribution valve 22 is controlled by the pilot valve shown in the diagram in Fig. l0, and is adapted to distribute air, irst to one con- -duit il, then to the other, and cutting them off alternately. Air is supplied by the pilot valve 10 to one end or' the valve casing 23;

valve 10, with which it connects through the pipe 48.

The pipe 4 is supplied with air from the central chamber 49, of the casing 23, to

which air is supplied directly from the conipresser; and there is used in connection wlth the annular air chests and branches 27, pipes 51, with valves `52 on them, by-

which a small quantity of air mayV always be Supplied to the receivers 47, and the tanks 50 whichlit serves, which for the time being is not receiving air in quantity, or full quantity.

It will be plain that as the pilot valve 10 is moved from one side ilo the other, air will be supplied to one air branch, 27, and air supply pipe 4I connected With it or the other. y

In this system the air distributing means within the tanks 50 will constitute a kind which creates a resistance to the escape of air from them, and delivered into the superincumbent body of liquid; that is, they act as a species of governors or regulator as to the supply. An advantageous species of such an air delivery appliance is that made of l porous material, which offers the required resistance `to the discharge of air, and delivers it in very small bubbles, so that a relatively prolonged and gradual lowering of the' volume and pressure of air supplied from the receiver, and thelowering of the pressure in it, would be acomplished.

In action, when air is supplied to one of the receivers and sets of purifying tanks, the pressure in the receivers and portions of the system connected with it, Will be raised by the compressor 40, forcing the purifying air directly into the receivers; and this rise of pressure will be partly increased by the resistance presented by the difusersmarked 55; and when the valve 22 is reversed by the pilot valve 10, the supply of air to thls receiver and portion of the plant 'is stopped, the air pressure will gradually fall in this portion of the systemn as it discharges and escapes from the a 1r difusers or distrlbuters 55. Thus, in this case,- there is a more or less gradual rise of pressure in one portion of' the system, and in the other, a gradual descent of pressure, and vice versa.

If desired the apparatus could also be arranged to work so as to give in addition to this alternation of supply, an entire cessa tion of supply in each portion with thesaception Vof the quantity through the pipes 51 and cocks 52.

ln this system in which receivers as 47 are employed, there is a gradual rise of pressure, at the diusers or air delivery means, and gradual descent; but when receivers are not employed the maximum pressure is quickly reached, and the supply is quickly (fzu oli" and ceases, and the pressure quickly In this alternating mode of carrying out the system described with reference to Figs.

.9 and 10, instead lof the pilot and piston type of alternating valve shown being used, the arrangements and types `of valves set forth With reference to Figs. l to 7 could be used, suitable'cams being employed.

With reference to the gradual increase or decrease in volume of air supplied to the tanks, the mechanism or means shown in Figs. 6 and 7 forv edecting this gradual supply and increase and decrease of Millime, may be employed. That is as the liquid in the tank falls, and the balance weight drops, it operates an air distribution' pilot valve of the kind shown (or any other suitable known type of pilot valve) so as to relieve the controlling cylinder 25 of the valve 21 of pressure (see Figs. 3 and 10) and allow the valve 22 to close; and, also, if desired, at the same time to cut out a unit of compressing power; and as another and another pilot valve is operated, so another and another unit of compressing power can be cut out.

.In the case, however, of electricmotors being used, by la suitable control switch, the 1 motors themselves may be cut out.

,In the case of steam power being used, the steam supply pipe may be more and more throttled, when reducing the speed.

In the case of oil and gas engines, the governor supplying the gas and oil may be con trolled by suitable mechanism; or an unloading arrangement of known type may be lemployed leaving the motive power running light.

ln the case where several compressor cylinders are used in one compressor, the unloading may be on one or more cylinders or on one. valve `controlling the cylinders of the compressor.

With re ard to thearrangement given in .Fig l0 o aiuirnberv of pilot :slide valves being used and operating as described, this arrangement can be used in connectlon with the system or method described `with referof air supplied.

lt Will' be understood that as regards the diagrams or dra-Wings given, the invention isnot restricted to the forms ot mechanisms shown thereiii, and described, nor to the means or power employed to operate these mechanisms, they being merely examples, and illustrate one mode of carrying out the invention. r'lilso, as above stated, the inventiou can be applied to various diilereiit types or torres ci tanks, and to systems oit treatment and supply and discharge of sewage, such as that known as lill and dravv olli system, or to the system of continuous sup-- ply of raw sewage, and discharge oi purified eueua lin the case Where the tanks employed have their bottoni in the iorms of troughs or iurroyvs and ridge, or cup shaped, or the like, the supply and cessation oi supply, or pulsating method oi air supply described, is advantageous; and this applies to the systems of liquid fill and draw ofi, and also to continuous supply and discharge.

ln some cases, as when the system of lill and draw oil" is employed, a largervolume ot air is adapted to be 'supplied to the sevage at the beginning of aeration, aud reduced toward the end oi the treatment; and y this applies to cases Where the lilling is either gradual or quick; and this lar "er volume is independent of the variations oi supply. '.lhe alternate supply and non supply oi air, or the alternate increase and decrease of pressure and volume of air, will be repeated several times during,l the 'Whole treatment in the tank.

`With reference to controlling the supply of air, this can be effected in any knoivn suitable vvay, as by reducing the revolun tions or strokes oithe compressors or blowers, or reducing the number oi compressors or number of cylinders Worked, (if. c. by completely stopping seine or unloading some), by throttlinp,- the inlet to the corapressors, or reducing` the effective stroke ot the' compressor cylinders, or in any suitable known wifey.

l. Vthe process oi? purifying sewage or other impure liquid by supplying the sewage or impure liquid to a tank, supplying Ior delivering air in small bubbles, periodically, a plurality of times at diderent points to the liquid in the tank during its treatment, until it is purified, and running oli' the puried' liquid.

ln this tained 'iu the liquid by t. tained bacteria or gorie. i .Y o liquid periodically by ehr it of relatively lare/e volumes o' of large voluines and l` h pr through distributing s the bacteria or germ lite during," vals of large supply or high. supply,by the supply or i, quantities of air, and removing the puri liquid.

The process of puriiiyino' other impure liquid by the er p a body of bacterial sludge irl a tank `iving sewage or impure liquid to the sludge in said tank; supplying' or deliveriul air in small bubbles, periodically a plur.. tu oi" times at diderent peints to the liquid in the tank duringits treatneut, until it is puried,arid gott the purified litpu i lu the puriueatioii of sewage or other liquid, taut: :tor containing the lirpuid be tre( ted; au supply apparatus adapted to supply the air to the liquid treated; air difftrilautire' means iuv the te l" by which the a. supplied into liquid at die i valvular appar etus distributing to deliver air odically to the dit ,rent parts 'of the during` the treatment; substantiallylortli. v

5. ln apparatus :for the parli' sewage or other .liquid a pi 'l a plurality oit separate to cause the rue'ans ing compressed air in the lou/er oi i tank, air supply pipes connected u@ air distributing ineens; and means lor rufe.. tributing air to said separate air supply pipes at dii'i'erent times; substantially set forth.

6. ln apparatus tor the purildcatiou oli or other liquid purijying tank.; a plurality of separate means iior deliveries; compressed air in the lower part of the tank; tir supply pipes eonilected 'with said air distributing means; means tor rib uting air to saisL separate air supply pipes at different times; and a compressed supply means; substauti lly as set forth.

ln testimony whereof l have sig/ced my name to this specicltion in the presence H5 oi two subscribing Witnesses.

l l (l 

